The Jackson Era Terms

Métis

This term is used to describe a person of mixed racial background, for example a person with both Cherokee and Anglo-American ancestry.

Original And Appellate Jurisdiction, Original Jurisdiction, Appellate Jurisdiction

These terms refer to the type of authority possessed by a court. A court possessing original jurisdiction has the authority to hear a civil or criminal case the first time that it is brought before the court. A court with appellate jurisdiction has the authority to hear a case on appeal—in other words, the authority to review a case that has already been ruled upon by a court possessing original jurisdiction.

Nullification

A constitutional theory claiming the right of the states to nullify or void federal laws deemed "unconstitutional." The theory further asserts that individual states, not just the courts, possess the authority to determine the constitutionality of federal laws or actions. Thomas Jefferson advanced the theory in the Kentucky Resolves he authored in 1798.

The doctrine of nullification claimed that individual states had the authority to cancel or void a federal law that they believed was incompatible with the constitution, or in some cases, contrary to the interests of a particular state.

States' Rights

This was a broad collection of beliefs that emphasized the powers reserved to the states under the Constitution. Most states' rights theorists argued that the federal government's powers were expressly defined by the Constitution, and that federal law-makers and officials should confine themselves to a narrow and literal interpretation of federal powers.

A broad collection of beliefs that emphasized the powers reserved to the states under the Constitution. Most states' rights theorists argued that the federal government's powers were expressly defined by the Constitution, and that federal law-makers and officials should confine themselves to a narrow and literal interpretation of federal powers.

During the nineteenth century, this was a broad collection of beliefs that emphasized the powers reserved to the states under the Constitution. Most states' rights theorists argued that the federal government's powers were expressly defined by the Constitution, and that federal lawmakers and officials should confine themselves to a narrow and literal interpretation of federal powers.